Patents by Inventor Masaaki Saitoh

Masaaki Saitoh has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10656458
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes: a liquid crystal cell that has a liquid crystal layer; first and second linear polarizers arranged on an observer side and a back surface side of the liquid crystal cell; a first retardation layer arranged between the first linear polarizer and the liquid crystal layer; and a second retardation layer arranged between the first retardation layer and the second linear polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Fujita, Takayuki Natsume, Masaaki Saitoh, Masaomi Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20200089049
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes: a liquid crystal cell that has a liquid crystal layer; first and second linear polarizers arranged on an observer side and a back surface side of the liquid crystal cell; a first retardation layer arranged between the first linear polarizer and the liquid crystal layer; and a second retardation layer arranged between the first retardation layer and the second linear polarizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: KENJI FUJITA, TAKAYUKI NATSUME, MASAAKI SAITOH, MASAOMI KUWABARA
  • Publication number: 20190171068
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device includes: a first polarizer; a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules; and a second polarizer, the liquid crystal molecules being aligned in a plane parallel to surfaces of the first polarizer and the second polarizer, the first polarizer and the second polarizer being disposed such that their absorption axes are perpendicular to each other, the liquid crystal display device including at least one first retardation layer whose principal refractive indexes satisfy a relationship nx=ny>nz or at least one second retardation layer whose principal refractive indexes satisfy a relationship nx=ny<nz between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal layer or between the second polarizer and the liquid crystal layer, the at least one first retardation layer and the at least one second retardation layer satisfying a predetermined relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: TAKAYUKI NATSUME, YASUNOBU AKEBI, MASAAKI SAITOH, KENJI FUJITA, MASAOMI KUWABARA
  • Publication number: 20190087036
    Abstract: A pen-input surface material has a surface on which an input is to be performed with a pen. The surface has ten-point average roughness (Rzjis) ranging from 0.1 ?m to 6 ?m inclusive, an average space between asperities (RSm) ranging from 30 ?m to 500 ?m inclusive, and skewness (Rsk) of zero or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Masaomi KUWABARA, Takayuki NATSUME, Masaaki SAITOH, Kenji FUJITA, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Noriyuki HOSHIAI
  • Patent number: 8698986
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of suppressing alignment disorder of liquid crystal and having satisfactory VR characteristics. According to the present invention, a liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, the liquid crystal display device having a reflective region and a transmissive region. One of the pair of substrates includes a longitudinal projecting portion and a liquid-crystal-layer-thickness adjusting portion for setting a liquid crystal layer thickness in the reflective region to be smaller than a liquid crystal layer thickness in the transmissive region. At least a part of the projecting portion is arranged without a gap along at least a part of a step portion of the liquid-crystal-layer-thickness adjusting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuya Ogawa, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Tomoo Furukawa, Masaaki Saitoh
  • Patent number: 8614777
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device that presents excellent display quality in the reflective display, and that can be easily applied to high definition. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate, in this order. The first substrate has pixel electrodes having a structure composed of a trunk portion and a plurality of branch portions that branch off from the trunk portion. The liquid crystal display device has a display region that includes a region where the branch portions and slits are alternately disposed. The display region has a reflective region and a transmissive region. The reflective region has a pixel electrode, a reflective film disposed under the pixel electrode, and a ?/4 retarder plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoo Furukawa, Katsuya Ogawa, Masaaki Saitoh, Kazuyoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 8605020
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a TN-mode liquid crystal display panel which is constituted by pixels of three colors (red, green, and blue) and a color filter. A thickness of a liquid crystal layer (cell thickness) is determined on a basis of a retardation value of green light or red light, which has a larger wavelength than blue having shortest wavelength among the three colors. A display data switching circuit carries out gradation conversion of shifting input gradation values to lower gradation values with respect to image data supplied to pixels of blue. Thus, grayscale inversion is prevented. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention produces an effect of improving transmittance of pixels of colors having wavelengths other than the wavelength of blue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Tomoo Furukawa, Kazuyoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 8319921
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transflective liquid crystal display device having a high aperture ratio. The present invention is a liquid crystal display device, comprising: a first substrate; a liquid crystal layer; and a second substrate in this order, wherein the first substrate includes a pixel electrode having a trunk portion, a plurality of branch portions branched from the trunk portion, and slits, the liquid crystal display device comprises a display region including a region where the branch portions and the slits are alternately arranged, the display region includes a reflection region and a transmission region, and in the reflection region, the pixel electrode, a reflective film disposed under the pixel electrode, and a ?/4 retarder are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8305533
    Abstract: The present invention provides an MVA transmissive or transflective liquid crystal display device with display qualities enhanced along with improvement in contrast. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention including: a pair of substrates; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, wherein one of the pair of substrates includes a pixel electrode having a rectangular shape when viewed from a display face side, the other substrate includes a linear-shaped dielectric protrusion overlapping with a corner portion of the pixel electrode when viewed from the display face side, and at least one of the pair of substrates includes a corner light-shielding member overlapping with a region where the linear-shaped dielectric protrusion and the corner portion of the pixel electrode overlap with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koki Hongo, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Tomoo Furukawa, Masaaki Saitoh
  • Patent number: 8264438
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has a vertical alignment type liquid crystal panel. The vertical alignment type liquid crystal panel is provided with an active matrix substrate whereupon a light reflection pixel electrode for reflecting light and a light transmission pixel electrode for transmitting light are provided in each pixel section; a counter electrode substrate; and a liquid crystal layer made of a liquid crystal material having negative dielectric anisotropy. The counter electrode substrate includes a convex section so that the liquid crystal layer in the light reflection section has the thickness thinner than that in the liquid crystal layer of the light transmission section. A liquid crystal panel driving device carries out gray scale transition enhancement processing in which the input gray scale is corrected in accordance with gray scale transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoo Furukawa, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Masaaki Saitoh
  • Patent number: 8208104
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention is a transflective liquid crystal display device that is provided with a backlight, a liquid crystal cell (10), and a reflective electrode (32) provided in the liquid crystal cell (10), and that displays an image through both a reflective display region (a) and a transmissive display region (b). In this liquid crystal display device, a front-side ?/4 plate (wave plate) for a reflective display is further provided on a side from which external light enters the liquid crystal cell (10), and a thin film (33) is provided, on the reflective electrode (32), for correcting a change in chromaticity caused by wavelength dispersion due to the ?/4 plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Masaaki Saitoh, Tomoo Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20110317113
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of suppressing alignment disorder of liquid crystal and having satisfactory VR characteristics. According to the present invention, a liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, the liquid crystal display device having a reflective region and a transmissive region. One of the pair of substrates includes a longitudinal projecting portion and a liquid-crystal-layer-thickness adjusting portion for setting a liquid crystal layer thickness in the reflective region to be smaller than a liquid crystal layer thickness in the transmissive region. At least a part of the projecting portion is arranged without a gap along at least a part of a step portion of the liquid-crystal-layer-thickness adjusting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Katsuya Ogawa, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Tomoo Furukawa, Masaaki Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20110221786
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a TN-mode liquid crystal display panel which is constituted by pixels of three colors (red, green, and blue) and a color filter. A thickness of a liquid crystal layer (cell thickness) is determined on a basis of a retardation value of green light or red light, which has a larger wavelength than blue having shortest wavelength among the three colors. A display data switching circuit carries out gradation conversion of shifting input gradation values to lower gradation values with respect to image data supplied to pixels of blue. Thus, grayscale inversion is prevented. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention produces an effect of improving transmittance of pixels of colors having wavelengths other than the wavelength of blue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Tomoo Furukawa, Kazuyoshi Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20110169722
    Abstract: The present invention provides semi-transmission type liquid crystal display device offering high contrast ratio and aperture ratio for transmissive display and capable of supporting pixels in fine geometry. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate (10), a liquid crystal layer (100), and a second substrate (60) in this order. The aforementioned first substrate (10) includes a pixel electrode (19) having a trunk portion and a plurality of branch portions branching out of the aforementioned trunk portion, and the display region, which contains the region in which the branch portions and slits are laid out alternately, includes of a reflective region (R) and a transmissive region (D).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuya Ogawa, Masaaki Saitoh, Kazuyoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 7978298
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device which presents display by forming liquid crystal domains that take radially-inclined orientation, persisting display unevenness is prevented from occurring when the panel surface is pressed, thus realizing high-quality displaying. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate provided so as to oppose the first substrate, and a vertical-alignment type liquid crystal layer provided therebetween. The liquid crystal display device according to the present invention further includes wall-like structures regularly arranged on the liquid crystal layer side of the first substrate, such that, when a predetermined voltage is applied, the liquid crystal layer forms at least one liquid crystal domain that takes a radially-inclined orientation state in a region substantially surrounded by the wall-like structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20110141414
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device that presents excellent display quality in the reflective display, and that can be easily applied to high definition. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate, in this order. The first substrate has pixel electrodes having a structure composed of a trunk portion and a plurality of branch portions that branch off from the trunk portion. The liquid crystal display device has a display region that includes a region where the branch portions and slits are alternately disposed. The display region has a reflective region and a transmissive region. The reflective region has a pixel electrode, a reflective film disposed under the pixel electrode, and a ?/4 retarder plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoo Furukawa, Katsuya Ogawa, Masaaki Saitoh, Kazuyoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 7961280
    Abstract: In a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device (50a) including an active matrix substrate (20a), the active matrix substrate (20a) includes a plurality of source lines (2), a first transparent electrode (2c) connected to each source line (2) through a TFT (5), an interlayer insulating film (12) provided on the first transparent electrode (2c) and having an opening (12a), a reflective electrode (6) provided on the interlayer insulating film (12) and connected to the first transparent electrode (2c) through the opening (12a), and a second transparent electrode (7a) overlapping the reflective electrode (6a) and the first transparent electrode (2c) and connected to the reflective electrode (6a) and the first transparent electrode (2c). In each pixel, respective outer peripheral ends (E) of the reflective electrode (6a) and the second transparent electrode (7a) are aligned with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Masaaki Saitoh, Toshiyuki Tanaka, Masakatsu Tominaga, Tetsuo Fujita, Yuji Suehiro, Hijiri Nakahara, Kazuhiro Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20110043438
    Abstract: The present invention provides an MVA transmissive or transflective liquid crystal display device with display qualities enhanced along with improvement in contrast. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention including: a pair of substrates; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, wherein one of the pair of substrates includes a pixel electrode having a rectangular shape when viewed from a display face side, the other substrate includes a linear-shaped dielectric protrusion overlapping with a corner portion of the pixel electrode when viewed from the display face side, and at least one of the pair of substrates includes a corner light-shielding member overlapping with a region where the linear-shaped dielectric protrusion and the corner portion of the pixel electrode overlap with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Koki Hongo, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Tomoo Furukawa, Masaaki Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20110019113
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transflective liquid crystal display device having a high aperture ratio. The present invention is a liquid crystal display device, comprising: a first substrate; a liquid crystal layer; and a second substrate in this order, wherein the first substrate includes a pixel electrode having a trunk portion, a plurality of branch portions branched from the trunk portion, and slits, the liquid crystal display device comprises a display region including a region where the branch portions and the slits are alternately arranged, the display region includes a reflection region and a transmission region, and in the reflection region, the pixel electrode, a reflective film disposed under the pixel electrode, and a ?/4 retarder are arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20110012885
    Abstract: In a transflective type liquid crystal display device of a vertical alignment mode in which liquid crystal domains exhibiting axisymmetric orientations are created, a difference in response speed between a region which presents display in the transmission mode and a region which presents display in the reflection mode is reduced. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate and a second substrate and a vertical-alignment type liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and has a plurality of pixel regions. The first substrate has a wall-like structure in regular arrangement on the liquid crystal layer side, and the liquid crystal layer forms at least one liquid crystal domain in a region substantially surrounded by the wall-like structure when a predetermined voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, the at least one liquid crystal domain exhibiting an axisymmetric orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Masaaki Saitoh, Tomoo Furukawa, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Katsuya Ogawa, Koki Hongo